Pressure Mounts, as Cowboys Face Vikings in Divisional Round

The Dallas Cowboys have been in every game they have played this season, only losing one game by 10 points, and that was to the Green Bay Packers. Regardless of whether the Cowboys have been in every game they have yet to string more than 4 wins together back to back, but if they wish to continue playing this season they are going to have to.

Offensively the Cowboys are statisticly better in every catagory but scoring. They average 399.4 yards per game second in the NFL, to the Vikings 379.6 which is 7th in the league. The Cowboys average 267.9 (6th) passing yards per game and 131.4 (7th) rushing yards, to the Vikings 259.8 (8th) passing yards and 119.9 (13th) rushing yards. The biggest difference in these two teams however comes to scoring where the Vikings average 29.4 points per game (2nd) to the Cowboys 22.6 points per game (14th).

Both teams have suffocating defenses, but the thing that sets these two defenses apart is again scoring, with the Cowboys allowing fewer points than any other team in the NFC. This week, the Cowboys are going to have to keep the high scoring Minnesota Vikings at bay, while on the other side of the ball making the most ammount of their yards gained by putting up points on the scoreboard.

Two things have kept the Cowboys from making their long drives worth some sort of points, and that has been penalties and an inept kicker. Shaun Suishim has replaced Nick Folk, but was inconsistent at best this year with the Redskins before being released and picked up by the Cowboys. The Cowboys will be hoping a change of scenery will help Suishim find his consistency and help the Cowboys in making their drives count.

Stringing together 4 back to back wins can be hard, but never before during this season has the Cowboys allowed winning and losing to keep their backs against the wall, rather they just took each game one at a time and didn’t spend too much time talking about the last game or anything other than this week’s. Now in the playoffs where you only have one option and that is to win, the Cowboys will have to continue to play with that same mind set. This game, for now, is the only game that matters and they’ll have to win it.